Security and vigilance beefed up along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal

The Border Security Force (BSF) has beefed up security along the Indo-Bangladesh border. This comes in the wake of an ABT module busted on Indian soil along with offensives launched against militants by Bangladesh security forces.

India shares 4096.7km border with Bangladesh including 2216.7 km border that Bangladesh shares with the Indian State of Bangladesh. The BSF is in charge of guarding the Indo-Bangladesh border.

"With the recent arrests of operatives of Bangladeshi militant outfit operatives from West Bengal, we have beefed up security along the border. There is a lookout for Rohingya refugees also" stated George Manjuram, DIG (general), North Bengal Frontier, BSF talking to Oneindia.
Surprise checks are being conducted in all strategic locations on the roads. Security and vigilance have been heightened on waterways also.

Incidentally, the border stretch in the Malda and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal have been earmarked as highly vulnerable. Security and vigilance have been beefed up by the security and intelligence agencies on the Indian side.

With the crackdown on militant outfits in Bangladesh, there are strong chances of the operatives infiltrating into India to escape the heat. The recent arrests of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT - a Bangladeshi front of the Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent -AQIS) operatives from West Bengal is a pointer to this.

Investigations have revealed that Aftab Khan alias Omar Farooq alias Mahi arrested from the Indo-Nepal border on Tuesday is an ABT operative who had attempted to kill a professor at Dhaka University, Bangladesh. As two of his associates involved in the attempt were gunned down by security forces in Bangladesh, Mahi escaped to India and has been in West Bengal since then.

With similarities in language, culture and tradition make it easier for the Bangladesh fugitives to stay in West Bengal gelling with the masses.

Media reports from Bangladesh state that the anti-terrorist Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) of Bangladesh had launched an offensive against militants in northwest Chapai Nawabgunj of Bangladesh district near the Indo-Bangladesh border on Tuesday.

Following an exchange of fire and hand grenades lobbed by the militants, the militants finally blew themselves up.

Three members of the Jamat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh allegedly committed suicide in the operation. Arms, explosives, and IEDs have been recovered from the site.

A massive crackdown on militant groups nationwide has been launched by the Sheikh Hasina Government in Bangladesh following the July 2016 attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery Café in Dhaka by militants leaving 29 including foreigners dead.

In another incident, RAB has arrested two ABT operatives from Dhaka on Monday. Sources stated that the Indian side has been alerted by the Bangladesh security and intelligence agencies that there are chances of infiltration into Indian by militants from Bangladesh trying to escape the heat.

OneIndia News